Nine Months. BEVERLY BARTON
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Название: Nine Months
Автор: BEVERLY BARTON
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
isbn: 9781474008945
isbn:
How long would it take? A month? Two? Longer? Heaven help him, he’d just have to stay away, no matter how long it took to work her out of his system.
* * *
Well, that had been four months ago, and Jared still wasn’t a hundred percent sure he had worked Paige Summers out of his system. But whether he had or not, he was returning to Colorado. He had already stayed away too long.
He checked his Gucci watch. Another hour and his pilot would land the Montgomery jet in Grand Springs. He lifted his glass to his lips and took a sip of the half-Drambuie, half-Scotch drink. A rusty nail, as the mixture was called, had been Grandpa Monty’s favorite, and the old man had served Jared his first on-the-rocks rusty nail when he’d been fourteen. That night had been a rite of passage in many ways for Jared. His grandfather had been quite a man, not as smooth or sophisticated as his father, the old man’s only son, but smarter, tougher and filled with a passion for life few men possessed. The old man had made his millions in oil right after the First World War, but in his heart, he’d never been anything but a cowboy. Jared had cared for Grandpa Monty more than he’d ever cared about another living soul, and even now, fifteen years after Monty’s death, Jared still missed him.
He wondered what the old man would think of Paige Summers. He already knew what his widowed mother would think of her. Joyce Montgomery shunned anyone she considered even remotely beneath her.
Of course, it didn’t matter what anyone thought. He wasn’t returning to Colorado to begin an affair with Paige. Quite the opposite. He was going to stay in Grand Springs as long as it took to get over his obsession with the girl. And that’s all it was. An obsession. Once he saw her again, he’d probably realize that his memories of her were overblown fantasies. She couldn’t possibly be as lovely as he remembered or her body as alluring. And the sex they’d shared had been just that—sex. He’d had good sex before. Often. His mind and body had played tricks on him, making him remember their lovemaking as something more than it was. It couldn’t have been that earth-shattering.
When he arrived at his office, he intended to treat Ms. Summers as nothing more than an employee. If she had been fantasizing about their having a relationship, then she’d have to face reality. He was her boss. She was his administrative assistant. If she harbored any illusions about the two of them, then he’d make it perfectly clear to her that they had no future together.
Chapter Two
Paige heard Jared’s voice in the hallway. He was here. Her heart skipped a beat. Greg Addison laughed heartily. The door to Paige’s office swung open and the two men entered, Kay Thompson following closely behind.
Paige’s heart stopped for a split second as she rose from her chair, her gaze riveted to Jared. He was the very essence of a successful businessman, an aura of wealth and power surrounding him. He filled out the double-breasted jacket he wore to perfection, and the brown stripes in his broadcloth shirt matched the dark silk of his hair.
She stepped out from behind her desk and smiled. More than anything, she wanted to run into his arms. She’d been kidding herself if she thought she could see him again and not feel the same magic that had caused her to act so out of character four months ago. She was as drawn to him as metal to a magnet.
When Jared paused briefly at her side, Paige’s smile widened. “Welcome back to Grand Springs,” she said, amazed that she’d been able to keep the nervous quiver out of her voice, when it was wreaking havoc in her stomach.
“Thank you, Ms. Summers. It’s good to see you again.”
His gaze never quite settled on her face. Paige realized that he was looking somewhere over her left shoulder, at the wall behind her. Without another word or gesture of any kind, L. J. Montgomery proceeded to his office. When Kay followed the two men into Jared’s office and closed the door behind them, Paige slumped down in her chair. Clenching her teeth tightly in an effort not to cry, not to overreact to Jared’s cool, businesslike greeting, she closed her eyes and counted to ten. Counting had always been her mother’s solution to problems. When they’d been children, Mama had given Bryant, Austen and her to the count of three to obey her command or else face the consequences. And whenever any of them lost their temper, Mama would caution them to always count to ten before throwing a tantrum.
Paige most certainly wasn’t going to throw a tantrum. She wasn’t the type. Never had been. But she was upset and hurt. Jared had treated her as if she were nothing more than an employee.
Well, silly, what did you expect? That he’d treat you like a lover—a lover he’d been unable to forget, as you’ve been unable to forget him? He told you that he thought it best if you both pretended your night of passion hadn’t happened. Obviously he’s been able to do just that. Forget it.
But how could he have forgotten, when, for her, the experience had been so unforgettable?
How on earth was she going to continue working for him, day after day, growing bigger and bigger with his child, and act as if he meant nothing more to her than an employer? Dear God, Paige prayed, how would she ever explain her pregnancy? She didn’t want to lie to him. But he might give her no other choice.
* * *
“Ms. Thompson, please ask Ms. Summers to gather up all the facts and figures on the Rocky Springs Ranch development and bring them in to me in about ten minutes,” Jared said.
“Yes, sir.” Her brilliant smile dazzled the two men watching her. “And may I say, we’re very pleased that you’ll be in Grand Springs for a while.”
“Thank you, Ms. Thompson, or may I call you Kay?” Jared thought the lovely divorcée was not only a shrewd businesswoman but a charming addition to the Montgomery Real Estate and Land Development staff. He didn’t doubt for a minute that, with Kay’s years of experience and real estate savvy, he’d be putting her in charge of one of his many branch offices someday soon.
“Yes, please call me Kay.”
“Good, but only if you’ll call me L.J., as all my associates do.”
“All right, L.J.”
The moment Kay exited the office, Greg slapped Jared on the back and chuckled. “Are you considering breaking your cardinal rule about not dating your employees?”
Jared snapped his head around. “What?”
“Kay Thompson is a striking woman, isn’t she?”
“Yes, she is.” Rounding his desk, Jared twisted the lever on the miniblinds covering the huge window and exposed the view from the top of the Wellman Building. “I’m surprised you haven’t made a move on her.”
“I have, but she declined the offer,” Greg said. “She told me that she went through an unpleasant divorce not long ago and she’s not quite ready for the dating scene again. But she might change her mind if the big boss asked.”
“I don’t intend to ask. I’m not going to break my rule for anyone, not even the charming Ms. Thompson.” Jared could have added that if he broke the rule for anyone, it would be for Paige Summers, not Kay Thompson. But no one knew about the СКАЧАТЬ